In the Black World — a familiar voice suddenly sounded in Ash's heart.
This voice was none other than the sea god Lugia, whom he had met in the Orange Archipelago!
Ash subconsciously glanced at the Silver Wing-enhanced Poké Ball in his hand.
If nothing unexpected had happened, Lugia must have communicated with him through this Poké Ball, and it was also how he had learned the news about meeting the young Lugia.
Thinking this, Ash asked Misty and the others to help explain things to the ship's captain, while he went aside to contact Lugia.
'Lugia?'
'Yes.'
'Exactly, I have a lot of things to ask you… What is this energy that suddenly appeared in my body? And why did the Silver Wing suddenly turn into a Poké Ball? And why did the young Lugia suddenly come to me?'
Ash fired off questions one after another, overwhelming the Lugia on the other end.
Lugia's feeling now was the same as Ash's had been earlier! This was the first time it had encountered such a rapid series of incomprehensible events!
Lugia had said before that as long as the young Lugia was nearby, the Silver Wing would sense its presence. However, because Ash had left the Silver Wing with Pidgeot year-round, and Pidgeot had stayed at Professor Oak's lab, Ash had never paid attention to the Silver Wing's detection function. The main reason was they'd never traveled across any major sea routes, so Ash hadn't thought to get the Silver Wing back.
The Whirl Islands they were heading to now could be considered a medium-sized sea area, so Ash had retrieved the Silver Wing and placed it on Noctowl. Of course, this was also because Pidgeot no longer needed the Silver Wing.
After getting the Silver Wing back, Ash hadn't even taken it out before the young Lugia came to him, followed by the rapid sequence of events—it went into the Silver Wing, the Silver Wing transformed into a Poké Ball, and a strange power appeared within him.
The focus was on the last one! Ash clearly felt a power that did not belong to him rise up in his body, but it wasn't a malicious power. On the contrary, it seemed to have many benefits for him… or more precisely, for the Pokémon around him. Ash hadn't fully explored its specific uses yet.
'Ahem, let me explain one by one.'
'First is the Silver Wing… that feather is the most special one on my body. I have scattered feathers containing my power in the past, but they are nothing compared to the one I gave you.'
'This Silver Wing was created by me using a great deal of psychic power, flying energy, and a portion of my divine essence. While it is also effective for ordinary Pokémon, the one who can exert 100% of its power must be my child!'
'I made some modifications to this feather and created a space similar to a Poké Ball inside. As long as my child enters, the feather will transform into the shape of a Poké Ball. In this Poké Ball, my child will grow independently, even if you don't train it. Additionally, this Poké Ball does not bear the mark of your human League, so it will not count against your carry limit.'
'But you should feel that this Pokémon has actually been marked with your imprint. No matter how deep inside the ball it is, you can sense it. In other words… you have formed a bond with my child.'
Ash: '… Hiss—'
No, no, the information overload was a bit much. He couldn't wrap his head around it.
In short… that feather had actually been prepared for the young Lugia, and upon meeting it, would automatically transform into a Poké Ball. And that Poké Ball also had the function of automatic experience gain, and it didn't even count among his six carried Pokémon, because it was transformed from Lugia's feather…
Wow! This ball was insane!
And… this Poké Ball was just bound to him? In other words… had he accidentally formed a bond with a Lugia???
Ah, this… what was this?
Even with Ash's easy-going temperament, he couldn't help but feel a major headache now.
That was the offspring of a Legendary-tier being! Although he'd thought that with the Silver Wing as a key, it might be easier, he really hadn't expected it to be this easy!
'Then, about that power within you…'
Lugia's voice sounded again after a thoughtful pause of about a minute. It must have felt Ash had processed the previous information.
'That power is the ability I buried within you, called the Sea Guardian's Blessing. This ability allows you to get twice the result with half the effort when training Flying-type and Psychic-type Pokémon. You can think of it as an alternative Silver Wing, and the effect is actually similar.'
'However, in addition to helping you train Pokémon, this power can also increase your affinity with Psychic-type and Flying-type Pokémon. Simply put, after meeting you, their initial fondness for you will be very high, provided you haven't done anything to earn their ire.'
'There are also some other abilities… you can explore them yourself. I don't know much about them, as you are the first person in history to receive my Sea Guardian's Blessing. Consider this the second reward for raising my child.'
Ash: '… ?'
When he typed this question mark, it wasn't that he had a problem; it was that he thought Lugia had a problem! How could it not be clear about its own abilities? Could it even play Pokémon? (not really)
After calming down for a moment, Ash began to think.
The first reward was undoubtedly the Silver Wing, but it had now transformed into a Poké Ball. And this second reward… He slightly mobilized the so-called Sea Guardian's Blessing within his body.
The Sea Guardian's Blessing was different from Aura. While its volume wasn't vast, it was incredibly dense! In terms of quality, it was even slightly superior to his own Aura power, which had been tempered many times.
According to Lugia, the Sea Guardian's Blessing should have active and passive functions. When he actively mobilized it, it could help Flying and Psychic-type Pokémon improve their training efficiency. Passively… it was the affinity toward Pokémon of those two types.
Whichever effect it was, it was a tremendous help to him. And since the Silver Wing had turned into a Poké Ball, Ash had been worried about finding another item for Noctowl, but now it seemed there was no need…
'As for how my child found you on its own… it should be because it sensed the power belonging to me within you.'
'So that's why your child recognizes me as its father?'
Lugia: '...'
...
[Flint: Hahaha, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh now, but I just can't help it, hahaha!]
[Korrina: It seems Ash from the Black World hasn't fully accepted the idea of being a father!]
[Diantha: It's normal. If a Pokémon came up to me one day and suddenly called me mom, I'd definitely faint on the spot!]
[Lillie: Then if that Pokémon called Ash daddy, would you wake up? I'm curious~]
[Diantha: ...]
Your curiosity…
[Caitlin: Pfft, nice one, Lillie! Join our excitement squad! I think you have potential!]
[Lusamine: Don't recruit my child into weird organizations!]
From Lusamine's observation… the Elite Four of the United Alliance… were definitely not good people! Not that they were evil, but… their thoughts didn't seem entirely pure… so Lusamine firmly opposed her daughter associating with that lot!
[Caitlin: Hey, don't say that, you make me sound like a villain. I'm one of the Elite Four! The very benchmark of Unova!]
[Cynthia: Then you've broken Unova's benchmark.]
[Caitlin: ...]
Hey… how can you say that? Aren't you still my best friend, Cynthia?! Backstabber!!
[Lance: Haha, it's quite amusing watching you girls bicker… But didn't any of you mention what Lugia gave Ash? That Poké Ball is too broken, right?...]
[Steven: It really is outrageous. Isn't it just an automatic experience amplifier?]
[Sabrina: The Sea Guardian's Blessing is also quite good.]
[Winona: Oh wow, I'm so jealous! Being able to increase the training efficiency of Flying-types is so cool! If I had that power, I'd spend twelve hours a day training with Pidgeot!]
[Giovanni: Hmph, that kid from the Black World is now carrying seven Pokémon, correct? Didn't your League sternly state before that carrying more than six Pokémon is illegal?]
[Giovanni: So… how do you view that kid from the Black World?]
How to view him, not how to deal with him, because Giovanni knew events in that world were beyond their control, but that didn't stop him from using words to needle the League.
Not long ago, the League said it was illegal to carry more than six Pokémon, and now… Black Ash would obviously be traveling with seven Pokémon from now on. Would the League turn a blind eye just because he was Ash? If so, then the League's credibility… would take a major hit!
Giovanni thought gloomily, almost laughing. After all, he finally managed to score a point, hahahaha!
[Professor Oak: Hmm… May I ask, has Mr. Giovanni never studied League laws?]
[Lance: Haha, why would he bother to learn? He's broken every law in the League anyway. Is there any need to study them?]
[Lorelei: That's true, so… Giovanni doesn't know the League's rules regarding Poké Balls.]
[Giovanni: What do you mean?]
[League Chairman: League law stipulates that trainers are not permitted to carry more than six Pokémon without authorization. If you wish to carry more than six, you can, but you must report to the League and prove you have the capability to care for more than six Pokémon.]
[Professor Oak: Why is the carry limit set at six? Because after multiple comparisons and years of observation, for the average trainer, six Pokémon is the limit they can properly care for.]
[Professor Oak: Is Black Ash an ordinary trainer… Do you believe that?]
[Cynthia: Therefore, there is no issue with Black Ash carrying seven Pokémon. Furthermore, the Poké Ball can also ensure Lugia's growth without requiring any effort from Black Ash; he just needs to carry it.]
[Wallace: Anyway, all Pokémon used in official League matches need to be registered in advance. It's not like you can bring seven and then pick six based on your opponent's lineup.]
[Bruno: As for battles in the wild… life-and-death battles, who cares about the rules then? So, Giovanni… are you getting old and confused?]
Giovanni: …
Damn!
The League's rules are like this? What leader of a villainous organization has enough free time to memorize League regulations! Although he knew many League rules, he only ever looked for profitable loopholes. After all, as the saying goes, the most profitable methods in the world are written in the law. But how many Pokémon one could carry… that had nothing to do with him. Why would he care about that…
Now it was better; he was directly defeated by their united front!
Fine, he'd just pretend he was never here!
...
In the Black World —
Hearing Ash's reply, Lugia was speechless for a moment.
This was also its fault… It hadn't spent much time with its child since its birth, hadn't even seen it more than a couple of times. The child hadn't recognized the wrong person… Ahem, in short, 'I'll leave my child to you. I hope that the next time we meet, I can see my child thriving.'
'Wait, how is Mewtwo doing now?'
Recently, Ash had used the Advanced Ball to send messages to Mewtwo, but Mewtwo hadn't replied. Ash figured Mewtwo might have reached the critical moment of breaking through to the Legendary-tier, so he hadn't disturbed it further. He hadn't even dared to contact Lugia, afraid of interrupting Mewtwo's ascension. But now, with Lugia reaching out, it was the perfect time to ask about Mewtwo's current situation.
'Mewtwo? It's doing very well now. It's estimated it will break through to the Legendary-tier in a month or two. By then, it should return to you.'
A month or two… That wasn't long before the Silver Conference. Of course, Ash had no plans to take Mewtwo to the Silver Conference; that would be utterly insane. Who would bring a Legendary to a League Conference?
However, although Ash wasn't planning to take Mewtwo to the conference, after challenging Lorelei at the conference, Ash intended to start searching for traces of Ho-Oh. That's right… he was going to challenge Ho-Oh!
But the Pokémon in his hand, even if he sent out all six of his strongest, might not be able to scratch Ho-Oh. Even if Pikachu used the "Thunder Kirin," it would likely be useless. Having witnessed Lugia's power before, Ash had a clear understanding of a Legendary-tier being's strength.
So… either he should wait another year or two after the Silver Conference to develop further. After all, he'd probably be close to Champion-level in a year. In two years… he should be able to go all out against a Legendary-tier, right?
The above was just one option. Another option was… to send Mewtwo!
As he'd thought before, because Ash himself was too strong and his Pokémon were still catching up, so far, whether it was Pikachu, Charizard, or Infernape, none had been able to withstand the full brunt of Ash's Aura power. If there was a Pokémon whose bond could reach the point of fusing with Ash's Aura and could withstand all of it, it was only Mewtwo!
Once Mewtwo reached the Legendary-tier, combined with the power of the two Mega Stones and the Aura he could channel, Mewtwo could achieve an even higher level of evolution! Even if it were a fledgling Legendary, it might still be able to contend with Ho-Oh!
Of course, that was for the future… Mewtwo hadn't broken through yet, the Silver Conference hadn't started, and there was still plenty of time…
Having understood almost everything, Ash ended the call with Lugia. In short, for now… he was a trainer with seven Pokémon. He'd call Professor Oak when they reached Clear Cliff in the Whirl Islands.
When Ash emerged from the shadows, Misty and the others had finally escaped the crowd. They had used the rough sea waves as an excuse. After all, this was the Whirl Islands; waves were normal. After all the passengers returned to the ship, Misty and the others looked at Ash with surprise.
Earlier, Lugia had suddenly entered the Silver Wing Poké Ball in Ash's hand, shocking them. Then Ash had run off, leaving them to deal with the captain and passengers. Now they had many questions for Ash!
The Team Rocket trio also stared at Ash with piercing eyes. It wasn't curiosity, but… their old habits were kicking in again. They knew how powerful Lugia was, and now seeing a young Lugia with Ash, how could they not get ideas? As for whether they could actually beat Ash… that wasn't within their train of thought.
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